1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
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1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)

One person was killed on Friday when a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s island of Java, said the US Geological Survey.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the national disaster management agency, said at least one person had been killed, several homes damaged and a hospital evacuated. He posted photos of people scouring collapsed buildings. There have been unconfirmed reports of more casualties.

He also said there were reports that buildings had collapsed in the city of Tasikmalaya in western Java and in several western Java districts.

"Houses and other buildings are damaged in many areas," he said in a statement.

People ran out of buildings in panic in many areas and Indonesian television showed heavy traffic on roads as people left coastal areas.

The USGS said the epicenter of the 6.5 magnitude quake was located at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), about 52 km southwest of Tasikmalaya.

The disaster agency said the quake activated early tsunami warning systems in the south of Java, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami had been detected.

Tremors were felt in central and west Java and caused minor damage to some buildings. The quake swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital Jakarta.

Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, is home to more than half of its 250 million people.



Thousands of Australians Without Power as Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds Lash Tasmania

The Coomera river is seen cutting a road at Clagiraba Road on the Gold Coast Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (AAP)
The Coomera river is seen cutting a road at Clagiraba Road on the Gold Coast Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (AAP)
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Thousands of Australians Without Power as Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds Lash Tasmania

The Coomera river is seen cutting a road at Clagiraba Road on the Gold Coast Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (AAP)
The Coomera river is seen cutting a road at Clagiraba Road on the Gold Coast Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (AAP)

Tens of thousands of people in Australia's southern island state of Tasmania were without power on Sunday after a cold front brought damaging winds and heavy rains, sparking flood warnings.
"Around 30,000 customers are without power across the state this morning," Tasnetworks, a state-owned power company, said on Facebook on Sunday.
The nation's weather forecaster said on its website that a cold front over Tasmania, population around 570,000 people, was moving away, "although bands of showers and thunderstorms continue to pose a risk of damaging wind gusts."
Properties, power lines and infrastructure had been damaged, Tasmania's emergency management minister Felix Ellis said in a televised media conference, adding that "the damage bill is likely to be significant".
Emergency authorities issued warnings for flooding, which they said could leave Tasmanians isolated for several days, as the state prepared for another cold front forecast to hit on Sunday night, Reuters reported.
“There is potential for properties to be inundated, and roads may not be accessible," executive director of Tasmania State Emergency Service, Mick Lowe, said in a statement.
Authorities had received 330 requests for assistance in the last 24 hours, according to the agency.
Tasmania is a one-hour flight or 10-hour ferry crossing from the mainland city of Melbourne, 445 km (275 miles) away. About 40% of the island is wilderness or protected areas.